All Black Domination

The All Blacks have continued their domination of their Northern hemisphere tour with a 23-19 victory over England. Easy victories over Wales and Ireland were useful opportunities for trying out new playing combinations, but the Twickenham match proved to be a true test for the All Blacks who played their best side with the exception of Richie McCaw who was a late withdrawal. The All Blacks’ forward pack stood strong against a highly rated English front row fresh from an annihilation of the Wallabies. With three All Blacks sent to the sin-bin, the side was one man down for a full 23 minutes in the final stages. With the Scotland match firmly in their sights New Zealand are now within a game of repeating their northern hemisphere Grand Slam of 1978.